Renato Chumbiarca stops for a moment hoe and rests his gaze on the infinite plain. "It will change life but here wants to continue as the Pachamama". At seventy years of life, slanting eyes like knives worn and have not considered other landscape: salt, salt and quinoa, quinoa and salt. The horizon reverberates in a thousand elusive shadows fade as we approach the sound of a jeep. Renato spits out his bolo coca, "It will change life but here wants to continue as the Pachamama", murmurs as stubborn as a tortoise withdraws hiding in the depths of his poncho. The white ocean around us seems to agree with a ferocious outburst in lightning rips the sky in this strange place that seems to embrace the earth, asphyxiating the sus hardworking people.
The white ocean around us seems to agree with a ferocious outburst in lightning rips the sky in this strange place that seems to embrace the earth, asphyxiating the sus hardworking people
Uyuni is not a particularly pleasant, there are not many hotels and the dust seems to follow tenacious to the last of its corners. A clear, languid air of Far West goes through a village where residents peer through the cracks in their homes as withered gargoyles and cemetery nearby train seems to move horse thieves of another time. At times it seems that the heated air will start with the soundtrack of a movie of Sergio Leone and a rolling bush will count signal to choose between the indecisive cholitas get to dance Can-Can or triggering a gunfight.
However, the bands of outlaws here have been replaced by jeeps loaded Rehal tourists from travel agencies in La Paz that pass through the hamlet as a bat out of hell. Uyuni is just the door of one of the major tourist attractions in Bolivia, the huge Salar, custodian of vast amounts of white gold. The Green Lagoon, Siloli desert or island Inkawasi are some of the jewels of these nearly ten thousand square kilometers alone justify more than a week of travel and about twelve hour bus through a tortuous, hellish way from the city peace.
Uyuni is just the door of one of the major tourist attractions in Bolivia, the huge Salar, custodian of vast amounts of white gold.
However in recent years this unique place in the world is no longer news for its tourist charms and discussed at a crossroads that is also to that Bolivia. Its mix, financial interests and global energy needs, environmental impact, a country clinging to her only chance to get out of its underdevelopment and indigenous communities ready to resist to the bitter end. Complicated cocktail fluttering around a treasure hidden in the bowels of the Salar, the precious Lithium, essential mineral for building electric car batteries, chimera future that depletion of fossil fuels seem to do a reality ever closer.
The Salar de Uyuni holds about 50% of total reserves of lithium in the world which would make Bolivia in owning a source of wealth comparable to that of Dubai or Saudi Arabia with oil. Problem: we speak of a commercial landscape for a market that is still a pipe dream and the country lacks the technology to extract and mineral trade. Large multinational General Motors automobile, Mitsubishi, Bolloré, Korean, Japanese, Chinese have continued to harass in recent years the Bolivian government for granting exploitation of the Salar. Evo Morales's government so far has been inflexible, the manufacture and market Lithium from Bolivia, the intention is to seek minority partners to provide the necessary technology, privateers not fleecing the country's wealth.
Alrdedor of the Salar live about seven thousand different communities scattered Aymara
More problem: Bolivia's constitution and its original character, which recognizes the right to thirty-six indigenous ethnic groups in the country to exercise sovereignty over their ancestral lands and the exploitation of its resources. Alrdedor of the Salar live about seven thousand scattered Aymara diverse communities as Renato warns not willing to give up their traditional ways of life, quinoa and llamas and alpacas grazing although the cover with mountains of dollars. So far the law protects them and a bombproof stubbornly deny their final vote to make the agreement.
Finally the construction of a plant in the Salar cause quite damaging environmental impact and end with one of the cash cows Bolivian tourism gold. Numerous variants for a complicated situation and with conflicting interests. So far the government has installed a pilot plant to produce lithium carbonate and will be ready in a few months with the Korean consortium technological contribution Kores Pasco. In five years the production of lithium in the country could be a reality.
Front Inkawasi Island appears as a helpless ship in a storm, watching his collection of beautiful cactus
The jeep runs along the esplanade at full speed, el paisaje becomes unreal. We dive into a sea of salt, infinite, absolute, overwhelming a snowy purity. Looking at all sides light bounces off the salt piles laying off Sportive blinding rays scatter in all directions. The feeling is almost spiritual to merge with nature shown here minimalist and terrible, stripped of all artifice. Front Inkawasi Island appears as a helpless ship in a storm, watching his collection of beautiful cactus. Just un couple of hours to stop, relax and go into the wilderness journey Siloli, and Laguna Colorada. There in the evening a group of aimaras collect their farming tools leave the quinoa fields and haggard head to the cluster of scattered houses that make up your community. Jeep across the old one and just up from the floor to cast a furtive glance and distrustful.
For a moment Renato remember and I think that in these hard men resigned and, with a destiny forged based on centuries of indignities and misfortunes, the key is to preserve one of the few remaining untouched paradises in the world. Resisting even the harassment of governments and corporations as the little Gallic village, stubborn, now and always against the invader, although no more than they deserve the right to give up dollars and cover. But in the harsh old man's eyes dwarfing and at full speed in the dusty rear view mirror has seemed to perceive a furious and unequivocal determination "life-changing, but here we want to continue as the Pachamama ".
The road
12 hour bus ride from La Paz by a hard and difficult road, on at all in the last stretch unpaved.
Travel by bus from La Paz to Oruro about three hours of travel and train from Oruro to Uyuni, seven hours.
To visit the Salar essential to hire a travel agency from La Paz, quite cheaply for three days less than 200 per person.
Highly Recommended
Laguna Colorada
The most spectacular Salar unique lagoon by the reddish color of its waters, variable depending on the time of day. Excellent for watching flamingos and becomes a site of particular interest for the color of its waters; most representative mammals of the region as the vicuña, vizcacha and the flame. Hotel precarious and terribly cold in the vicinity. Enjoy and freezing insured.
Laguna Verde
Located at the southern end of the Reserve, Emerald green due to the high magnesium content of the water. Next to this gap is the volcano with a height Llicancabur excellent for trekking . Close to the border with Chile.
Isla Inka Wasi
One of the most peculiar of the park. Lonely Rocky Island emerges from the depths of the Salar, with a shape similar to that of a fish. Populated by an ecosystem of fossils of marine and cactus with heights that reach the 8 meters. One of the strangest and most beautiful landscapes in the world.
Siloli Desert
Desert beauty with strange rock formations, known as the Stone Tree. Very extensive and surprising is the gateway to the wildlife reserve Eduardo Abaroa Andean.
Morning Sun
Near Laguna Colorada on the way to the Salar de Chalviri. Area with intense volcanic activity. In the craters can be observed intensely hot lava;,, fumaroles emit vapors mixed hot water and steam reaching heights of 80 a 100 meters; Ability to take a relaxing dip in the natural pools formed by the geysers.
